On Frantic Mama, Julia Arnold laughs about the less glamorous side of new motherhood. In my world, the counter is always sticky, and the floor is never clean.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Stella & Dot: A Frantic Mama Experiment

Have you been to a Stella & Dotparty? They are like the Tupperware parties of yesteryear, but focused on well-priced, of-the-moment jewelry, handbags, gifts, and accessories rather than plastic containers (a bit more fun, especially with a glass of wine, don't you think?).

This is the first pair of Stella & Dot earrings I bought. The stones are a beautiful aqua; this picture doesn't do them justice (Amity Drops $34):

Lots of famous people (Jennifer Aniston, Carrie Underwood, Sophia Vergara to name a few) wear the brand, but what I love is that the line is much more affordable than what you might think given the style and on-trend design, with many pieces below $50.

Stella & Dot was founded by Jessica Herrin (the co-creator of WeddingChannel.com) to create flexible entrepreneurial opportunities for women, so support it I will! I have a friend, Julie Heiden, who is a Stella & Dot stylist. She hosts these little soirees and has access to the new collections as soon as they become available.

The Experiment Begins:

Julie and I teamed up to pick out some of the best pieces for mamas on the go. Every day for a week, I wore one or more of the pieces from Julie's collection. I usually only wear my wedding band and a small pair of earrings, but I thought, why not? I could use a little pick-me-up in the middle of this Godforsaken Minnesota winter.

The Hypothesis:

Even a frantic mama such as myself can feel more stylish by incorporating a few fresh pieces into my yoga pants and t-shirt wardrobe.

The Materials:
Below are some of the pieces we chose, organized in neat little trays (though my photos won't do them justice). I chose some, but I also let Julie loan me some of her favorites because knowing me, I'd only pick the smallest and most understated of pieces. Here are our choices:

(Tassels are big right now; the Milana ($79) with removable tassel, pictured above, is very popular)

(I wouldn't necessarily have chosen such chunky pieces, but I thought, let's give it a go!)

(The yellow and gold necklace is very cool, right? I really LOVED those delicate, sparkly little leaf earrings!)

(Ivie drops $34)

(I'm a little obsessed with the color turquoise and this dreamy jade color. The necklace looked HUGE to me, but I it's all the rage, so I tried it).

But from the get-go, this bracelet was my favorite piece:

(Macey Bangle; $39)

Here's what I wore one day to the mall to window shop (I got used to wearing lots of jewelry quickly, and I did feel much more feminine and stylish strolling the mall). Guess what, even my hubby noticed and liked!

The Devon layering necklace ($49) comes as one long strand, but you can make it into two, like I did.

The bracelets ----->
Easy to layer and very pretty. (I have narrow wrists and you can actually adjust some of the bracelets so they don't roll right off your arm).

The earrings were simple but added a touch of sparkle.

But wait, there's MORE! Check out this popular pouf ($24). I elegantly paired it with something I never leave home without: a car for my son to fiddle with.

My husband and I had a date night recently, and I wore the sparkly, stretchy Odeon Stretch Bracelets ($49)

with the Kahlo Linear Earrings ($39). I wouldn't necessarily have picked out the bracelet or earrings from a lineup at a party, but once I had them on I REALLY liked their sparkle; I felt quite stylish.

I also used this adorable and versatile faux-leather Tia clutch/cross body bag ($98).

Last but not least, Julie loaned me this cool "How Does She Do It" tote, which I used to carry my laptop, granola bars, diapers for the baby, and smoothies for my son:

(How Does She Do It Tote ($89): Pictured here in Navy Blue Ikat, but there are several different options).

Results:
I enjoyed our experiment even more than I thought I would. It was FUN to pick out a new necklace and/or earrings or bracelet every day. My kids even liked my various looks.

Next Steps:

Interested in ordering something pictured here or learning more about becoming an independent stylist? You can also learn about hosting a trunk show (and get the goods at a discount). Julie would be the perfect person to contact. Here's her info:

About Julia Arnold/Frantic Mama

As a mom of 2 young kids, I'm frantic most (okay, all) of the time but manage to blog with humor and honesty about the less glamorous side of Motherhood. I'm also a contributor for What the Flicka and Mamalode, & the book Clash of the Couples.